Jean-Paul Ney arrested and charged

The French photojournalist Jean-Paul Ney who was detained on December 27, 2007 outside the headquarters of the national TV station in the Ivory Coast has been arrested and charged along with nine others,

The 10 are accused of conspiracy against the state, belonging to an armed group, and threatening public safety and state security, said state prosecutor Raymond Tchimou. Among those detained was French photojournalist Jean-Paul Ney, who was arrested Dec. 27 outside the headquarters of national TV. He was accompanied by an Ivoirian national, Tchimou said. “The Ivoirian was carrying a firearm and the Frenchman had a number of electronic gadgets on his arm,” the prosecutor said. link

A government spokesman is quoted as saying the authorities believe Ney is tied to Ibrahim Coulibaly, a former army sergeant who lives in exile in Benin and is accused of involvement in a 2003 plot against President Laurent Gbagbo.